Circular knitting machine



June 6, 1933. A. R. COLE ET AL 1,912,474

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 20, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 6 35 W 20E 'gi June 6, 1933. A. R. COLE ET AL CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE 4Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 20, 1931 I hz 4 June 6, 1933. R COLE ET ALl,12,474

'CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 20, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 as w IJune 6, 1933. A R. COLE ET AL CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 20,1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented June 6, 1933 UNETED STATES PATENT OFFICEALFRED REYME'S COLE AND BERNARD THORNTON COLE, 0E LEICESTER, ENGLAND,ASSIGNORS TO WILDT AND COMPANY, LIMITED, OF LEICESTER, ENGLAND, ABRITISH COMPANY CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Application filed January 20,1931, Serial No. 509,995, and in Great Britain January 25, 1980.

This invention consists in improvements in or relating to knittingmachines and to a method of knitting. By means of the present inventionopenwork efiects can be produced in the fabric in a novel and improvedmanner with the aid of what are commonly known as pelerine stitches.

Hitherto, in frame knitting machines a pelerine stitch has been producedwith the aid of a pelerine point or points by inserting the latter intoa needle-joining loop and then drawing the point or points outwardlyaway from the fabric in order to draw out a long needle-joining loop,and finally placing that loop.

(a) Over a needle to one side (when a single point is used) by movingthe point towards the fabric and at the same time shogging it sidewaysin order to pass the loop on to a needle to one side, or

(Z2) Over two adjacent needles (when two convergent points are usedtogether) by first raising the points simultaneously into the loop inorder to expand it laterally, and then moving the points back towardsthe fabric to place the enlarged loop over two adjacent needles.

According to the present invention, a method of forming a pelerinestitch is characterized in that the needle-joining loop that iseventually to be passed over a needle or needles is first drawn to therequired length as the yarn is fed to the needles by passing the yarnover a pelerine instrument that at that time is spaced from the verge ofthe needle-bed a distance corresponding to the required length of theloop.

Means according to the present invention for producing a pelerine stitchcomprises in combination a bed for the pelerine instrument which ismounted in the machine so as to remain in fixed, or substantially fixed,relationship with respect to the needle-bed, particularly as to itsdistance from the verge of the needle-bed, and in which the pelerineinstrument slides in a direction transverse to the paths in which theneedles move at a fixed distance above or beyond the said verge.

The foregoing and other features of the invention will be more clearlyunderstood from the following description of some preferred embodiments,read in conjunction with the accomanying drawings, in which Figure 1 isa plan View of a machine having an attachment for producing pelerinestitches according to the present invention and shows only those partsnecessary for understanding the invention;

Figure 2 is an elevation of the parts shown in Figure 1, the additionalneedle-depressing cam having been omitted for the sake of clearness;

Figure 3 is a section on the line 33 of Figure 4;

V Figure 4 is a Figure 3;

Figure 5 is an elevation of the additional needle-depressing cam andassociated parts looking from the left-hand side of the correspondingparts in Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a diagram showing the relative positions of the knittingcams and the additional depressing cam;

Figures 7, 8 and 9 show respectively three successive steps in theformation of a pelerine stitch;

Figure 10 is a section similar to that shown in Figure 3 of a modifiedform of the invention;

Figure 11 is a plan of the parts shown in Figure 10;

Figure 12 is a section, also similar to that plan of the parts shown inof Figure 3, of a still further modification of the invention;

Figure 13 is a plan of some of the parts shown in Figure 12; and

Figure 14 is a detail showing a method of adjusting the stops on thesinker cover.

Like reference numerals indicate like parts in the several figures ofthe drawings.

Referring first of all to Figures 1 to 6,

it is to be observed that the form of the invention here shown isapplied to a circular knitting machine having a rotating needlecylinder,indicated at 10. A stationary camboX is shown at 11 and the usualsinker-ring at 12 and the sink cover at 13.

The bed for the pelerine instruments is indicated generally by thereference numeral 14 and is supported from the sinker-ring 12 in thefollowing manner:

As shown more clearly in Figure 3, a groove is cut or otherwise providedon the inside of the sinker-ring near its face in order to accommodate aring 15 that is held in place by screws such as 16 spaced at intervalsaround the sinker-ring 12. The bed 14 is formed in two halves divideddiametrically as shown in Figure 1 and these two halves are heldtogether by clamping plates 17 and screws 18. The screws pass throughslots in the clamping plates 17 extending circumferentially of themachine so that the two halves of the bed 14 can be adjustedcircumferentially in order to bring the pelerine instruments intocorrect alignment over the tricks in the sinker-ring 12 and exactlycentrally in the needle spaces. Each half of the bed 14 is supportedfrom the ring 15 by means of pillars 19 which may be disposed in groupsat intervals or otherwise disposed around the machine. Each pillar isflat in a radial plane and extends upwardly in a line parallel with atrick-wall of the sinker-ring, thus leaving spaces between adjacentpillars for sinkers to slide between in their normal manner.

In the example illustrated two diametrically opposed groups of pelerineinstruments 20 are provided, the purpose of these instruments being toproduce openwork clocks for hose and half-hose; and in order to enablethe instruments to be inserted in tricks provided for their reception'inthe bed 14 a coverplate 21 secured to the bed by screws 22 is provided.

Each pelerine instrument may comprise two fiat strips assembled andmovable in company side-by-side in atrick in the bed 14 and theinnermost ends of the strip are splayed outwardly as indicated at 23; oreach instrument may, if so desired, be formed of a single piece, or maybe fashioned by any other means. The strips 20 have upstanding lugs 24for a purpose to be described later, and at their outer ends they areformed with butts 25 arranged at various heights, five heights beingindicated in Figure 3, it being understood that any number may besubstituted if desired.

For selecting the instruments 20. three selector levers 26 are providedpivoted at 27 in the bed 14, and are arranged so that their free ends,when moved inwardly, will engage the outer extremities of theseinstruments which have butts 25 at corresponding heights. Normally, theselectors 26 are urged outwardly from the axis of the machine by thecentrifugal force induced by the rotation of the machine and areselectively moved inwardly by means of an abutment 28 projecting fromthe upper end of an endwise1noveable rod 29.

The rod 29 slides in a bracket 30 secured to a fixed portion of themachine and is urged downwardly by a spring 31 that surrounds the rod 29and is in compression between the upper bearing for the rod 29 in thebracket 30 and a collar 32 secured to the rod.

It will he understood that as the selectors 26 revolve around the axisof the machine in company with the bed 14 the height of the abutment 28will determine which of the selectors 26 is to be operative in eachrevolution of the machine. The height of the abutment 28 is controlledby studs 33 that can be inserted in any desired sequence in aratchet-ring 34. The latter is mounted to rotate about a fixed spindle35 and is formed with teeth on its periphery which are engaged by a pawl36.

The pawl 36 is pivotally mounted at 37 in a swinging arm 38 that alsopivots about the spindle The inner end of the arm 38 carries acam-follower 39 which is engaged on each revolution of the machine by acam 40 that is carried round in company with the needle-cylinder 10. Theneedle-cylinder and the cam 40 are rotatable around the axis of themachine in the direction of the arrow in Figure 1 and Consequently eachtime the cam 40 passes the cam-follower 39 the arm 38 will be rocked ina clockwise direction as viewed in Figure l and will thereby cause thepawl 36 to advance the ratchet-wheel 34 through one tooth space. Eachtime the wheel 34 is thus racked on, a ditlerent stud 33 will be broughtbeneath the rod 29 in order to control the height of the abutment 28. Inthe example shown (see Figure 2), studs of only two different heightsare illustrated and the third or lowermost position of the abutment 28will be attained when the foot of the rod 29 is lowered on to thesurface of the ratchetwheel 34.

A dividing cam 41 is mounted on a fixed part in order to divide the lugs24 of the selected and unselected instruments 20 and to advance theselected instruments to their full inward position. A return-cam 42 isalso provided to engage the projections 24 of those instruments thathave been selected and to return them outwardly in a manner to bedescribed later. An additional needle-depressing cam 43 in the form of aplunger-cam car ried at the end of a slider 44 (Figures 1 and projectsthrough the outer wall of the cambox and is normally pulled by a spring45 in a direction to withdraw it from the cam-box.

The slider 44 is guided in a block 46 secured to a fixed part of themachine and at its outer -end is engaged by one extremity of a bellcrank47 pivoted at 48 in the block 46. The other arm of the bellcrank 47 ispivotally connected at 49 to a plunger 50 that is controlled from anydesired patterning mechanism in order to determine when the cam 43 is tobe operative or inoperative upon the needlebutts.

The operation of the mechanism so far described is as follows lVhen theparts have reached a position corresponding to that illustrated inFigure 1, a selector 26 on one side of the machine (the middle selectorin this case) will have been pushed inwardly by the abutment 28 and willin its turn have pushed inwardly those pelerine instruments having butts25 at a height to be engaged by that selector. This first inwardmovement does not project the splayed ends 23 far enough to overlie thetops of the needles. Immediately following this first selection of theinstruments the needledepressing cam 13 will lower the needles and theywill remain lowered during their movement around the axis of the machinecorresponding to the distance between the lines A, A1 in Figures 1 and6. As will be seen from Figure 6, after the needles have passed theposition corresponding to line A the dividing cam ll commences tooperate to advance still further those pelerine instruments that havebeen moved forwardly by the selector 26 and the instruments will befully advanced above the tops of the needles by the time that theposition corresponding to the line A1 has been reached. The yarn is fedto the needles from 7 point approximately indicated by X in Figures 1and 6, and as the needles descend the stitch cam, the yarn will be laidover the have been advanced. drawn comparatively rapidly so that theirpelerine instruments where such are provided, and on each side of theinstruments the yarn will have been drawn down by the de- Thus, as thepelerine inheight above the needles, an enlarged waleloop will be drawnover each such inwardlypro ected instrument instead of over the sinkeras would normally have been the case 'if the instrument had not been proected to receive the yarn.

After the position of the maximum ad vance inwardly of the pelerineinstruments has been reached, the needles will enter the sti ch-camsystem and when they arrive at a position indicated by the line B inFigures 1 and 6, the return-cam 42 commences to act to withdraw thepelerine instruments that They are first withsplayed ends pass, withrespect to the waleloop 51 (Figures 7, 8 and 9) from the position shownin Figure 7 to that shown in Fig);v

.ure 8. A pause is then made in the withdrawal of the instruments and atthis stage the Wale-loop 51 will have been expanded laterally in bothdirections to its maximum extent. During this period of pause thesinkers may be slightly advanced in the customary manner and thedrawn-ofi' mechanism pulling on the knitted fabric will assist inbe-llying the loop 51 so that it passes to the outside of two adjacentneedles 52. It will be appreciated that not only does the pelerineinstrument expand its loop, as shown in Figure 8, but it also draws itoutwardly from a position inwardly of the needle-circle to a position=outside that circle. Consequently, the two adjacent needles 52 whichwill lie inside the expanded loop will be raised, during the pause inthe outward movement of the-instrument through the loop 51 whereupon thecam 42 acts to withdraw the pelerine instrument further in order toextract it from the loop 51 which now falls on toand embraces theneedles 52. It is very desirable that the withdrawal of'the instrumentfrom the loop and the resulting transference of the loop to the needlesshould be performed while the needle latches are held open. In knittingthe next course the loop 51 will, as shown in Figure 9, be interlockedwith the outer stretches of the two adjacent needle-loops thus leaving adistinctive opening in the fabric structure.

A similar operation occurs in connection with the pelerine instrumentson the opposite side of the machine and as is usual in knitting pelerinestitches a course in which the pelerine instruments are active isfollowed by a plain course of knitting in which they are inactive.

It is not essential that the bed for the pelerine instruments should besupported from the sinker-ring as described above. For instance, it maybe mounted to rotate on the sink-er cover, as indicated in Figure 10, inwhich the same reference numerals have been employed to designate theneedle-cylinder, the sinker-ring, the sinker cover and the bed for thepelerine instruments. In order to drive the bed 14 in company with theneedlecylinder a bracket 153 is fixed to the sinker cover 13 and has itsmovement limited by stops 154: in the manner usual with hose andhalf-hose machines. The bracket 153 carries a spindle 55 journalled init and having pinions 56 and 57 secured to the spindle. The pinion 57meshes with a gear-ring 58 attached to the sinker-ring 12, and thepinion 56 meshing with a ring of gear-teeth provided on the bed 1 1. Itwill be understood that the sinker-s cover 13 remains relativelystationary with respect to the sinker-ring. Consequently, relativerotation of these parts will, through the pinions 56* and 57 and spindle55 cause the bed 1 1 also to partake of the same relative rotation withrespect to the sinker-cover 13. In the type of machine underconsideration the sinker-cover is intended to be held stationary duringround knitting and it will be so held by engagement of the bracket 153with one of the stops 154. During reciprocating knitting the bracket 153can oscillate between the spaced stops 154 as is customary in hose andhalf-hose machines. In the description applied to Figures 10 and 11 onlythose parts have been referred to which differ from the previouslydescribed construction.

Similarly, Figures 12, 13 and 141 illustrate a further modification ofthe invention, in which the sinker-ring 12 has secured to it, by meansof screws 60, a ring 61. Attached to the latter is an upstanding ring 62formed with vertical slots for the passage through them of the outerends of the pelerine instruments.

Projections 53 for the sinker cover drivers (which correspond to theprojection of the bracket 153 in the example illustrated in Figure 11)will lie inside the ring 6 The latter is slotted circumferentiallybetween the positions occupied by the two sets of pelerine instrumentsto enable adjustable stops 54 to be inserted through them intoengagement with the projections 53. From Figure 13 it will be seen thatthere are two sets of spaced projections 53 and these are a secured tothe sinker-cover 13 in the manner illustrated in Figure 14 which isintended to show that screws 63 engaging with the cover 13 pass throughslots in the. circumferentially-disposed portions of the projections 53so that the latter may be circumferentially adjusted.

Assuming that in Figure 13 the two solid sectors 64 represent thoseportions of the ring 62 which are slotted to receive the outer ends ofthe pelerine instruments, and that the parts are rotating in thedirection of the arrow in Figure 13, it will be necessary to remove thestops 5 1 before the portions 64: can pass them. The stops 54 are,therefore, made adjustable, that is to say, they are mounted to slideradially of the machine and any preferred timing mechanism is employedto withdraw them one at a time so that neither of them is withdrawn fromen- 21 81119I1l) with its )ro ection 53 while the D D J other isdisengaged from its associated projection, In other words, as theright-hand portion 64 approaches the right-hand stop 54 the latter willbe withdrawn but the lefthand stop will still be in engagement with itsprojection 53. As soon as the part 64 has passed the right-hand stop thelatter will be re-introduced to engage its projection 53 and theleft-hand stop will then be with drawn to permit the passage of the part64.

A convenient means for withdrawing the stops 54 in the requisite timedsequence is afforded by means of sector-cams 65 which are secured to thering 61 by screws 66 and Vwhich en a e )ins 67 de iendin from the b O bsliding stops 54. As will be clearly understood from Figure 13 thesecams 65 serve to withdraw the stops 54 before the parts 6-1 reach thestops.

If it is desired to retain the abutment 28 at a particular height, forexample, at the height of the top selector 26 irrespective of anyadjustment that might otherwise be made through the agency of the studs33, a rod 167 is provided which engages and holds up, the abutment 28 atthe required height.

This rod 167 is controlled from any convenient and preferred form ofpatterning mechanism.

Moreover, if it is desired at any time to arrest movement of the wheel34-, a rod 68 can be employed which is capable of vertical movementunder the influence of cams on the control drum to detain, by means ofengaging notch 69, the oscillating arm 38 from swinging about its pivot37 so that the camfollower 39 is held clear of the cam 40.

By an inversion of the parts which will be readily understood by thoseskilled in the manufacture of knitting machines, the invention can beequally well applied to a circular machine having a stationaryneedlecylinder and a revolving cam-box, and this inversion is to beunderstood as included within the present scope of the appended claims.

Furthermore, the invention is to be understood as including as anattachment to an existing machine means for producing a pelerine stitchcomprising the bed for the pelerine instruments, means to support itfrom the needle-cylinder or from a part between which and theneedle-cylinder there is no relative rotation about the axis of themachine together with the necessary selectors and actuating cams.

I claim 1. For a circular knitting machine the combination of a needlebed, needles therein, a bed for pelerine instruments, a sinkerholder andmeans to secure the pelerine instrument bed to the sinker-holder.

2. For a circular knitting machine the combination of a needle bed,needles therein movable sinkers, a sinker-holder, a bed for pelerineinstruments, a carrier for the pelerine instrument bed supported on thesinker-holder and spaced pillars constituting a support for the pelerineinstrument bed and extending in a direction transverse to that of thesinker movements, the spacing of the pillars being such as to permit thesinkers to slide between adjacent pillars.

3. For a circular knitting machine the combination of a needle bed,needles therein, a sinker-holder, movable sinkers therein, a bed forpelerine instruments, spaced pillars operatively connecting the pelerineinstrument bed with the sinker holder and extending in a directiontransverse to that of the sinker movements, the spacing of the pillarsbeing such as to permit the sinkers to slide between adjacent pillars.

a. For a circular knitting machine the combination of a needle bed,needles therein, a sinker-ring, movable sinkers therein, a bed forpelerine instruments, an annular recess in the region of the inner edgeof the sinkerring, a carrier received in said recess and constituting asupport for the pelerine instrument bed and spaced pillarsinterconnecting the latter with the carrier and extending in a directiontransverse to that of the sinker moven'ients, the spacing of the pillarsbeing such as to permit the sinkers to slide between adjacent pillars.

5. F or acircular knitting machine the combination of a needle bed,needles therein, a bed for pelerine instruments comprising a pluralityor" segmental portions the inner boundaries of which are spaced from theaxis of the machine and means for interconnectsaid segmental portions topermit relaadjustment between them in a circum- 6. F or a circularknitting machine the combination of a needle bed, needles therein,r-holder. movable sinkers therein, a ,i-cover, abed for pelerineinstruments supported above said cover and a gearcoupling between saidpelerine instrument bed and the needlecylinder.

7. For circular knitting machine the combination ot a needle bed,needles therein, a sinker-holder, movable sinkers therein, a bed forpelerine instruments rotatable about the a of the machine and supportedabove the sm'Ier-holder, and a geared operative connection between thepelerine instrument bed and the needle-cylinder.

8. For a circular knitting machine the combination of a needle bed,needles therein, a sinkenholder, movable sinkers therein, a bed forpelerine instruments rotatable about the axis of the machine, a ring ofgear-teeth movable therewith, another ring of gear-teeth movable with heneedle-cylinder, coupling pinions meshing with said rings of teeth andmounted on opposite ends of a spindle, and a bearing for said spindlesupported by the sinker-holder.

9. For aeircular knitting machine the combination of a needle-bed,needles therein, a sinker-holder, movable sinkers therein, a bed forpelerine instruments rotatable about the axis of the machine andsupported above the sinker-holder, and arigid operative connectionbetween the pelerine instrument bed and the needle-cylinder, said rigidconnection being outside the sinker-holder.

10. For a circular knitting machine the combination of a needle bed,needles therein, a sinker-holder, movable sinkers therein, arelativelvstationary sinkencover, a bed for pelerine instruments rotatable aboutthe axis of the machine above the sinker-cover, two spaced stops forsaid cover, cooperating pairs of projections on the cover, of which eachpair cooperates with a stop and means to move the stops alternately intoand out of engagement with an associated projection whereby when onestop is freed from its pro ection the other will be in engagement withits projection.

1. For acircular knitting machine the combination of a needle bed,needles therein,

sinln ,eve

a sinker-holder, movable sinkers therein, a relatively stationary sinkercover, a bed for pelerine instrument-s rotatable about an axis of themachine above the sinker-cover, two

one of the stops from cooperation with its projection and then torelease it before engaging the next stop.

12. For a knitting machine the combinaion of a needle bed, needlestherein, a bed for pelerine instruments, pelerine instruments thereinmovable in paths transverse to those in which the needles move andhaving butts arranged at various heights, and selectors one for eachheight of butt and/or movable in the direction in which the instrumentsslide.

13. For a circular knitting machine the combination of a needle bed,needles therein, a bed for pelerine instruments, pelerine in strumentstherein movable in paths transverse to those in which the needles moveand having butts arranged at various heights, selectors one for eachheight of butt and all movable in the direction in which the instrumentsslide, an abutment to engage the selectors, there being relativerotation about the axis of the machine between the selectors and theabutment, and means to adjust the abutment and bring it into engagementwith any one or more of the selectors at will.

14:. For a circular knitting machine the combination of a needle bed,needles therein, a bed for pelerine instruments therein movable in pathstransverse to those in which the needles move and having butts arrangedat various heights, selectors one for each height of butt and allmovable in the direction in which the instruments slide, an abutment toengage the selectors, there being relative rotation about the axis ofthe machine between the selectors and the abutment, means to adjust theabutment and bring it into engagement with any one or more of theselectors at will, and means to hold the abutment at aposition to engageany one of the selectors irrespective of the adjustment in height whichwould otherwise have been made to the abutment by the normal adjustingmeans.

15. For a knitting machine an attachment comprising an annular orsegmental bed for pelerine instruments having in it radial tricks forthe reception of said instruments, a supporting ring adapted foroperative connection to a sinker-holder, and spacing members for holdingthe bed and supporting ring at a fixed distance from one another.

16. For a circular knitting machinethe combination of a needle bed,need'lestherein, a sinker-ring, movable sinkers therein, a bed forpelerine instruments, an annular recess formed in the region of theinner edge of the sinker-ring, acarrier in said recess and means tosupport the pelerine instrument bed on said carrier.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification.

ALFRED REYMES COLE. BERNARD THORNTON COLE.

